Need Not To Know
by aeon fear
Summary: Tyrant AU. Souichi's newest client, Morinaga Tetsuhiro, is on the run from dangerous men. That's why he's hired, but he never counted on things being so...difficult.
1. The die is cast

A/N: Helllloooooooo again! So I decided to make another Tyrant story, despite the fact that I'm not into masochism. I suppose that you can file this under the Crazy Things That Aeon Does Under The Influence Of Too Much Chocolate Pizza.

It's an AU, which I'd always wanted to make. I think that the story itself is pretty clear for now and I won't have to explain what they do.

Disclaimer: I've tried putting conditioner before shampoo. This is the result.

* * *

Two young men stood in front of the detective agency, faces nearly undiscernible under thick hats and scarves. People shot them mildly curious looks for blocking the sidewalk.

"I'm still not sure, Masaki-san," one of the men murmured. "Maybe…"

"We don't have time, Tetsu. You do want this done, don't you?" the other man-Masaki-chided.

"But-"

"I'm not accepting any other answer. We're here and we need to do this-for Kunihiro."

Tetsu turned away as his eyes filled with tears. "Fine."

"Don't worry, Tetsu," soothed Masaki, although he sounded on the verge of tears as well. "Isogai is an old friend of mine. He would take care of you."

* * *

Tatsumi Souichi glared at the liquid steaming from his mug. The idiot Kurokawa had the bright idea of giving him hot chocolate instead of coffee, like Souichi was an eight year old kid. If Kurokawa hadn't been called away to an assignment, Souichi would have poured the hot chocolate on his head hours ago.

He, Isogai Taichirou and Kurokawa Mitsugu had formed the agency a few years out of college. On the way to setting it up they'd picked up two more employees- Yamaguchi Hiroto and Souichi's own brother, Tatsumi Tomoe. Souichi had protested at Tomoe joining a potentially dangerous job, but he was overruled by the two other founders. The best that Souichi could do was to keep Tomoe at a desk job.

But it had been boring, being a private detective. Movies did not do them justice at all. They were usually assigned to dig dirt on cheating spouses or to find missing cats. For example, Kurokawa was called away to find an escaped raccoon from a nearby zoo that some drunk had been stupid enough to let loose. Souichi didn't envy him the job, and thought it only poetic justice that Kurokawa was out on what promised to be a wild goose chase in the middle of winter.

Souichi, on the other hand, was practically chained to his desk, searching for a missing person that may or may not have used his credit card in the past three hours. He was getting frustrated, because the missing person seemed to have made a big purchase at a BSDM store (and what the hell was that client doing in there?!), but every time he called the store, the crew wouldn't confirm the purchases. No matter how hard he tried to explain that he was a private detective trying to find a missing person, the employees would not say anything.

Finally Souichi stood up, poured the offending mug of chocolate down the sink, and resolved to just buy instant coffee. Anything had to be better than that…that sweet sludge.

And to hell with that client. If he marched over there here and now and showed them his badge, he was sure that-

"Oi! Souichi!"

Soichi groaned internally as he heard his name being called from Isogai's office. "What?!"

"Come in here!"

"I'm about to buy coffee!"

"You can buy it later!"

Damn, Isogai could be such a pain! Annoyed, he stomped towards Isogai's office, and slammed the door open. "WHAT?!"

"Don't break down the door, Souichi! I was going to introduce you to your new clients!"

Souchi turned slightly to see two men sitting in front of Isogai's desk. "I have another case, send someone else."

"Hiroto can take over that."

"What? No!"

"It's a bodyguard job, and you're our best sharpshooter," Isogai pointed out.

"Then I'll even be less inclined to agree. I hate bodyguard jobs."

Isogai scowled at him, but when he turned back to the clients, his voice was pleasant. "Can I talk to my colleague here for a minute?"

"Of course," one of the men agreed.

* * *

Isogai stood up and dragged a still-protesting Souichi out of the office. When they reached the kitchenette, Isogai threw him inside and locked the door behind him with a predatory grin.

"It's the money, isn't it?!" screamed Souchi as soon as he saw Isogai's smile.

"Well-partly-but it's also because I knew Masaki Jun in college. Remember, he was that beauty who takes up economics?"

"And I am supposed to look at men? You know how big the university is. I don't know him."

"You don't know how to appreciate beauty, Souichi. But yeah, his friend's little brother got caught up in some stuff, and Jun wants him to have protection. I'll let Jun explain it when you agree-"

"If I agree," broke in Souichi.

"You will. Morinaga's a good kid."

"Kid? Kid?! I'm not baby-sitting, you dumbass!"

"He's legal! Just younger than you are. Look, can you just listen to them? They're really desperate, and Masaki-kun is scared. That's all I ask."

Souichi stared into his friend's eyes for a long moment, then sighed in defeat.

"Fine. Fine. But just listening, you understand?

Isogai grinned again. "Perfectly."

* * *

When Isogai came back, he brought a (relatively) calm Tatsumi Souichi with him. Isogai introduced him to their new clients, Masaki Jun and Morinaga Tetsuhiro.

"So why do you need protection?" asked Souichi, sitting down in front of the two men. Now that he was looking at them properly, Masaki Jun did look vaguely familiar.

Morinaga, on the other hand, was a complete stranger. He had short black hair and soft green eyes. Souichi could see lean muscles underneath the knitted sweater that Morinaga wore, and he knew that if Morinaga stood, he would be taller than Souichi.

Masaki and Morinaga exchanged a glance at the question. "We think Morinaga might have seen an illegal transaction," Masaki began.

"You think? What do you mean? And why haven't you called the police?"

"Those illegal transactions were _made by the police._"

Souichi paused. It seemed like paranoid mumbo-jumbo to him, but… "You have proof?"

"Not really."

"Then what use is it?"

"I think we better start at the beginning, Masaki-kun," Isogai put in.

"I understand. However, I'd ask that no one else would know about what we're about to tell you."

"Fine," snapped Souichi.

Masaki smiled slightly at Souichi's temper, but continued. "Tatsumi-san, Tetsu is an employee at a pharmaceutical company. He was working late two weeks ago when he saw some suspicious-looking people entering the compound. These people met up with another employee and gave him a bag of drugs, then left. Tetsu didn't know they were drugs at that time, but when he came to work the next morning, he saw the bag again in the store-room. That was when he realized what they were."

Despite himself, Souichi was interested. "And?"

"Tetsu was indecisive because those men seemed like Yakuza. He waited for a few days, then finally came to the police station to tell everything. But when he got there he…" Masaki trailed off. "He saw that employee selling drugs to a police officer."

"Is this true?" Souichi asked the other man.

Morinaga silently nodded.

Souichi was becoming irritated. Couldn't he talk?

"Anyway," Masaki interrupted, "He came to me after this. He didn't know what to do, so I told him to quit the job. He walked out from his job five days ago. We thought that was the end of it, but then…the pharmaceutical employee who was dealing with the Yakuza died."

"Died?!" yelped Souichi. He shot Isogai a frantic look. _He wasn't the right man for this!_

"It's in the papers. His name is Ibuki Keisei. The actual cause of death is a skiing accident, but with his dealings, we think it more likely that the Yakuza somehow caught up to him."

"So why does he-" Souichi gestured to Morinaga, "-need protection?"

"Because," Morinaga spoke at last, "Because on the day I left the job, I returned to the store-room where the drugs were. I wanted to see if they were still there."

"And?" Souichi could already tell that he wasn't going to like what he was going to hear.

"I…Ibuki-san was there. He didn't know that I knew, but he was checking up on the drugs. Practically no one goes to the store-room, that's why he hid it there. When he heard that someone was coming, he knocked the bag of drugs off the shelf. He didn't see me, but I saw him try to pick up the bag again. Later in the day, when I came back-"

"You came back to that room? How stupid are you?" Souichi asked in disbelief.

"I made sure that Ibuki-san wasn't there. There was still some powder on the floor, from the drugs. I think he was supposed to be a dealer, but he was somehow caught using the drugs. The Yakuza found out because…because…"

"Because there were security cameras in the store-room," isogai finished unexpectedly. "The killers got rid of the tapes as soon as they watched them, but they saw Morinaga-kun on the tapes. Add the fact Morinaga was also in the store-room after the day they delivered the drugs and had quit the company…"

"They know that Tetsu has been there," said Masaki. "And they're looking for him. For now they're complacent because they don't know if Tetsu knows who they are. Tetsu and I have tried evading them on our own, but sooner or later…"

There was a long moment of silence.

"Where do you live now?" Soucihi asked abruptly.

"In an apartment downtown," Morinaga replied.

"The one that you're living in all along?"

"No, I moved in my current apartment shortly after I consulted Masaki-san."

Souichi nodded in satisfaction. "How about a gun, do you know how to handle one?"

"You're taking on the job, then?" Isogai said eagerly.

"Tch," muttered Souichi. "I think it's better if you move out of town."

"No." This was Morinaga. "It's too soon. I might be able to get out after a month, but they're too watchful for now."

"So," Souichi agreed. "A month, then?"

"Or two," Masaki allowed.

"All right, two months," grumbled Souichi. "When do I begin?"

* * *

A/N: And that's the end...for now. Review! If there is anything that's not clear with Morinaga's situation, I'd try to work it into the next chapter.

**Review! Those who don't review will get their pencils eaten by flying baby pandas.**


	2. In the Dark

A/N: Hmm. seems like most people don't like this story or don't care about it. It makes me feel kind of sad, but I suppose I can always remove the story or shorten it. Or maybe beginnings just aren't my thing?

Disclaimer: The Tyrant did not fall in love with me. Lalalalalaa~

* * *

For the most part, being a bodyguard to Morinaga Tetsuhiro was indescribably boring. The young man rose early in the morning, and worked at Masaki Junya's café (a temporary job, Tetsuhiro had said) until six in the evening. Then Morinaga would usually buy, cook, and prepare ingredients for dinner, watch a movie or browse the internet, then go to bed. Souichi, who slept in the spare room of Morinaga's apartment, could have recited his schedule by heart at the end of the third day.

Morinaga was also polite-almost unnaturally so. It was obvious that he was uncomfortable with being shadowed. Souichi had at first protested eating dinner with him or sleeping through the night ("What if something happened?!") but Morinaga had told him that it was unlikely. Nothing had happened yet.

"That doesn't mean something won't," Souichi argued. "I feel like I'm not doing my job."

Morinaga smiled. "Of course you are. I'm sorry it seems boring, but Masaki-san insisted. He's like a paranoid elder brother. Don't worry. We'll only have a month."

The way that Morinaga said that made Souichi realize that Morinaga didn't like their arrangement much. "Well, you should tell him that."

"I've tried," Morinaga said, then handed him a can of beer. "Do you watch a movie with me?"

"You know, you can't keep running forever."

Morinaga paused in the act of opening his own can of beer. "Sometimes you have to know when to retreat."

That was all Morinaga would say of the subject. For the most part, he acted as if Souichi was an ordinary roommate.

* * *

Morinaga also had his quirks. He rose at five AM everyday like clockwork, didn't smoke or party with other people, nor drive a car. Instead, Morinaga had a small motorcycle and didn't seem too speak seriously to anyone, save for Masaki.

Morinaga cooked very well for someone who was living alone. When he was asked, Morinaga simply said that he'd been doing it for years. He also seemed happy enough to shoulder all the housework. He had refused to allow Souichi to do any chores, saying that it wasn't too much of a bother.

The young man was very observant-almost stalkerish. On the very first day that Souichi arrived at Morinaga's apartment, he found an ashtray on the coffee table. Morinaga had told him it was his, as he himself didn't smoke. Souichi spent the better part of an hour trying to recall if he had ever smoked in front of his newest client, but couldn't come up with anything.

Morinaga also deduced quickly that Souichi didn't like motorcycle rides, though how he knew was a puzzle to Souichi. The café where he worked wasn't really that far away, so Morinaga said that they'd walk instead. Souichi had protested at first, saying that walking would expose Morinaga to other people who could possibly be yakuza, but Morinaga replied that it would be more inconvenient if Souichi fell off during a motorcycle ride.

"I'm supposed to be the one protecting you, not the other way around," Souichi said, exasperated.

Morinaga smiled, amused. "Exactly. If you get in an accident because of me, I won't have a bodyguard."

Souichi shook his head. "There's no need to."

"Of course there is. Those men…" Morinaga trailed off, then seemed to force himself to be more casual. "I don't want you replaced. It's…nice, to have someone else in the house."

"I'm not a glorified roommate, Morinaga-san, I'm your bodyguard."

The reply was curt. "I know."

There were too many questions and not enough answers when it came to Morinaga. The green-eyed man kept himself safe and secret, and he seemed determined not to let Souichi- or anyone else-in.

* * *

Morinaga was popular with the café's female clientele, but even then, he was polite. When middle school girls cozied up to him, wanting to know his number or email, he kept a distance. He used to think that it was because he was shy (Morinaga rarely spoke if there was no need), but after seeing him ignore beautiful women his own age, Souichi had begun to wonder if Morinaga had a girlfriend.

Morinaga was carrying clean trays of bread to their display counter when two young men came in. Masaki acting as the cashier, and the other waiters were scattered throughout the shop. Souichi was sitting in a table ten feet from Morinaga, doing a report of the job so far. He was keeping half an eye on Morinaga.

Suddenly the two young men-really, boys- came right up to the counter and pointed a gun in Masaki's face. "Give us the money in the tiller."

Souichi tensed, but didn't get up. If he moved too hastily, Masaki might get hurt. Instead, he silently checked the glass doors outside for any accomplices.

Was this it, then? The thieves didn't look yakuza-they seemed high-school aged at the most. Most likely they were just here to steal and not for Morinaga particularly, or they would try to get him alone, but he couldn't let anyone in the café get hurt, either.

Masaki didn't look particularly afraid, but his eyes were narrowed. Morinaga had frozen.

There was a shriek as customers all around them realized what was happening.

"Be quiet!" yelled the other boy, waving his gun.

Suddenly, Morinaga moved. He threw the tray that he was holding in the thieves' faces, then levered himself over the counter to disarm the two boys with quick, efficient movements. Masaki stepped backward, allowing Morinaga space to move, then ducked smoothly to hold one of the thieves down. Morinaga already had the other one.

It was so fast that if Souichi had blinked, he would've missed something. All the customers applauded.

Morinaga looked at Souichi. "Call the police," he ordered. He sounded calm, and his face was blank.

Souichi nodded-the only thing that he could do in that situation. When the police arrived, they found out that those kids were only playing a prank with toy guns. The police hauled them away, loudly reprimanding them, but Souichi knew that they couldn't do anything much if the kids were under-age.

* * *

Masaki didn't want to press charges, but instead banned them from the store. The staff of the café ended up working overtime as Masaki came to the

station to settle things. By some unspoken rule, Morinaga manned the cashier's area in Masaki's absence. It seemed to make the others feel better, though Morinaga refused to have his pictures taken-even for their middle-school customers.

Souichi was forced to scare the giggling customers away. It was the first time that he'd done anything remotely resembling his job since he agreed to be Morinaga's bodyguard. He pretended to be a detective who was "assigned" to keep an eye on the café for any future thieves. It was a lie, but it did help explain when he flashed his badge to shoo curious customers. But his mind was racing.

If it was him in Morinaga's place, he didn't think that he could've disarmed two people as quickly as he did.

What the hell was going on?

* * *

"It doesn't seem like you need a bodyguard," Souichi said that night.

Morinaga looked at him carefully. "You're angry," he said at last.

"Damn right I'm angry," Souichi snarled. In his mind, there was a flashback of how Morinaga subdued the two thieves. They were kids, but…Morinaga moved faster than a striking snake. In his words and actions, there was no hesitation at all. "How did you learn to do that? You…who are you?"

"Morinaga Tetsuhiro," was the steady reply. He paused, then said, "I know some self-defense. But I don't know how to use a gun, and I can still be outnumbered. The ones today were easy because they were kids. I don't think I can fight against a bunch of Yakuza. I can only hope that no one hears of it, but when I saw them threaten Masaki-san…"

Souichi frowned. "You don't need to watch out for him-he's not the one in trouble."

But then again, Morinaga had some sort of strange mothering tendencies. He seemed exactly the type of person who would worry too much.

Morinaga shrugged. "We've been friends for a long time. I hate for something to happen to him."

"He's older than you are, isn't he?"

"Yes. He's 28."

"Hmph. Be more careful the next time, and stop worrying about others. You're the one who's in danger."

Morinaga nodded silently.

It was not until later, when Souichi was lying in his bed that night, did he realize that Morinaga had evaded really answering who he was.

* * *

A/N: Well, the flying baby pandas are probably flying baby Snorlaxes by now, since a lot of your pencils got eaten. Still, let me thank the people who reviewed:

**LoveKSB**: Here is your weekly update! Hopefully I'll be able to keep it up. Haha! Thanks for your review!

**Kawaii Neko-chan15**: That's all I ask. Thanks for your review!

Happy holidays! **Those who don't review will find the Darth Vader singing "Old McDonald" the next time they try to open their fridge. Beware! XD**


	3. Behind Closed Doors

A/N: Sorry for the delay! Santa killed me during the holidays. I had to escape Hades by disguising as one of his reindeer. Thanks for those who told/ threatened me that they wanted this fic to continue!

Disclaimer: The voices in my head keep on telling me that tigers and zebras are related because they are both striped with four legs.

* * *

"Ready to go?" Morinaga asked Souichi distractedly, in the middle of putting his shoes on. It was the day after the almost-robbery at the café.

"Maybe you should take it easy today," Souichi commented. "I'm sure that a lot of people have heard about what you did yesterday. It'd be a lot more difficult to protect you if you're on the front page of the local newspaper."

"I'm sure it's not so bad," Morinaga replied, descending the apartment stairs with Souichi. "Nothing's happened yet."

"It's not my job to wait around until something actually does," snapped Souichi. "It's my job to eliminate the possibility ever happening."

The younger man chuckled. "Tatsumi-san, you really are way too serious."

"And _you'_re way too ignorant," fumed Souichi.

"I'm not the one in danger of bursting a blood vessel, Tatsumi-san. All this worrying is going to make you prematurely gray."

Souichi's eyes narrowed. It was…suspicious. Morinaga seemed almost happy today, despite what happened yesterday. Could it be possible that Morinaga was actually proud of himself for saving the café?

"Anyway, I can't take the day off. This week we're starting to plan for the new café specialties."

"Surely you can miss that? You're not a chef."

"I don't want to stay at the apartment. There's nothing to do there. I'll just remember things I don't want to."

Souichi promptly shut up. Sometimes, it was easy to forget why Morinaga had been forced to seek protection in the first place.

"You can stay in the café too, Tatsumi-san," Morinaga added, apparently unaware that he had said anything odd. "Masaki-san and the chefs are really the one in charge of the planning. But we're closing earlier than usual tonight, because they're going to make the items that were approved. The other employees get to join a taste test, of sorts. It's usually really good."

Morinaga's expression had changed again-back into that cheerful, enthusiastic mood that had allowed him to tease Souichi.

Damn it. The kid needed a fucking shrink, not a bodyguard.

* * *

There was a knot of people forming in front of the café when they arrived. The café was relatively popular, but neither of them anticipated that they would have onlookers at eight in the morning.

Souichi spotted it first, and suggested that they enter via the employees' entrance at the back. He guessed that most of new customers were there because of the stunt that Morinaga and Masaki pulled.

When they finally managed to get in, they found Masaki waiting just inside the kitchen. He looked surprised. "Didn't you get my message?"

"What message?"

"There's a bunch of fan-girls waiting for you. I thought it'd be best if you kept away."

Morinaga pulled out his phone. "It's dead. Oh. I forgot to recharge it after last night…but…how did so many people know so quickly?"

"I think someone posted pictures on Facebook. Can you look at it?"

"I told you so," Souichi muttered. He would've felt smugger if he wasn't worried about exposing his client to more danger.

Morinaga ignored Souichi. "What are we going to do, Masaki-san?"

"For now you can go buy ingredients that we need for tonight. I know you don't want to go back home, but I don't want you wandering around, either. Get them from the next town over. I think this will blow over in a few days. At least, I hope so…" Masaki bit his lip. "Tatsumi-san, do you have a car?"

"Yeah."

"We'll pay for the gas. Can you take Souichi in the next town and buy what we need?"

Souichi was still slightly taken aback by being ordered to be a shopping vehicle, but he understood Masaki's intentions. "Yes."

Masaki smiled at him, relieved.

"What about you, Masaki-san?" Morinaga asked.

"I'll be fine."

"Call me if-"

"Your phone's dead," Masaki interrupted.

"You can charge it here, I need to get my car from the agency anyway," Souichi put in. He thought that the sooner he could get Morinaga away from here, the better. He'd never heard of any yakuza using Facebook, but there was the chance that someone would talk…or be overheard. "I'll be back in an hour."

He exited the café. When he took on the job, it seemed unnecessary to keep Morinaga under lock and key, but now he was questioning that decision. He knew, however, that Morinaga would never consent to being hidden away. He might not know Morinaga that well, but he already realized that much. In fact, if it were a question of subduing Morinaga, Souichi might not be able to do it.

And that might prove to be a disadvantage.

* * *

Masaki was angry. Morinaga could see it.

"Don't let it happen again," Masaki said, handing him a charger. "You never know what would happen these days."

"I think it's a bad idea for us to be apart," Morinaga replied. "What if-"

"They're hardly going to gun down the café, Tetsu!"

"Then why are you sending me away? There's a lot more chance of me being killed if I'm in the street-"

"You won't be in the street. You'll be with Tatsumi, who is a professional bodyguard. But if we can't contact each other, this won't work."

Morinaga was exasperated. "I'm practically joined at the hip with that bodyguard anyway, if there's anything urgent, you can call _him_."

"You know that if there is anything, he won't be able to understand why it would be important to us. That's why you need to be available."

They stared at each other, each unwilling to give in. Finally Morinaga sighed. "I still don't think it's a good idea to separate, but I won't forget to charge my phone again. And I'm sorry that this ever became necessary. I shouldn't have been so impulsive yesterday."

"I understand why you had to do it," Masaki assured him. "If it had been the other way around…"

Morinaga smiled slightly. "I think that if it had been the other way around, it would've been Tatsumi-san who rescued us. Imagine him having fan-girls."

Both men chuckled quietly, picturing the scene in their minds.

"You'll be more careful, won't you?" Masaki pleaded.

Morinaga shrugged. "I think it's you who really needs a bodyguard, Masaki-san. You know that I can take care of myself."

"Is he getting suspicious?"

"A bit," Morinaga admitted. "I managed to get by with an excuse."

Masaki exhaled. "I don't like lying either, but he'll quit if he finds out. And the pictures?"

"I'll take care of it."

* * *

Souichi managed to get to the agency in a surprisingly short amount of time. Isogai was not in the office.

Perfect.

He strode to his little brother's desk. Tomoe seemed pleasantly surprised to see him. "Nii-san!"

"Where's Kurokawa?" Souichi asked. Kurokawa was usually super-glued to Tomoe.

"Went out to buy coffee-the machine is still broken. Aren't you on a job?"

"I'm just here to get the car. That damn thing isn't fixed yet?"

"Kurokawa-san attempted to fix it, but I think he made it worse."

Souichi snorted. "I'm not surprised."

"Don't be mean, please. He's my boyfriend."

"He's lucky I haven't broken his neck yet!" snapped Souichi. In as far as he was concerned, Kurokawa was a pervert who corrupted his younger brother. His relationship with Kurokawa was still strained, mainly because Souichi regularly issued death threats to Kurokawa.

"But anyway, Tomoe, I need a favour."

Tomoe perked up. "A background check?"

Background checks were Tomoe's specialty. Souichi nodded. "I want you to check on Masaki Junya and Morinaga Tetsuhiro."

"Aren't those your clients?" Tomoe asked cautiously. It wasn't unusual for Souichi to be suspicious of people, but doing a background check on one of Isogai's connections was a bit tricky.

"There's something about them, Tomoe. Morinaga especially." Souichi scowled, annoyed that his own background check had not yielded anything of interest. "Send it to me as soon as possible, ok?"

His little brother nodded. "I understand."

* * *

Morinaga and Masaki were back to normal by the time Souichi returned. Morinaga's phone wasn't fully charged yet, but he assured both Masaki and Souichi that it would be enough for the remainder of the day.

"You seem familiar with the café, as more than a customer," Souichi observed casually as they drove to the next town.

"I've known Masaki-san since junior high," Morinaga replied. "We've been invited to Dolce's taste test night every three months."

"We?"

"Ah, me and my brother."

"You have brothers?"

"Just one, an older brother. He…moved to Tokyo recently, so I don't think he'll be joining us tonight. What about you, Tatsumi-san?"

"A younger brother and sister. We're pretty much independent. Mom died when I was young, and Dad travels all over the world looking for bugs."

Morinaga seemed fascinated. "Bugs?"

"He's an entomologist."

"That's really interesting. I guess you're not afraid of bugs, then?"

Souichi flinched, certain memories flashing through his mind. "Maybe."

From the look on Morinaga's face, he could pretty much guess what Souichi didn't want to say, but wisely didn't pursue the subject.

In the course of their shopping, Morinaga once again made Souichi's job more difficult by plying him with bakery ingredients. Souichi had repeatedly told Morinaga that it would not do to be seen together by too many people, but Morinaga only said that it would only be more suspicious if they were always seen together without speaking to each other.

"Think of this, Tatsumi-san," Morinaga said calmly. "If we're photographed together a number of times, the logical assumption would be that we're friends that like spending time together. However, if it were the other way around-we're seen together but we never talk-you might be seen as a stalker."

"I'm not a stalker," Souichi spluttered.

"Exactly," Morinaga nodded as if it made perfect sense. "So you're my friend. Hold this can of cherries for me, will you? I want to compare prices."

Souichi barely resisted breaking the aforementioned jar on his client's head. "You have an answer to everything."

"I've been told that before."

* * *

It was worth it, though. They did arrive late at Dolce, and the chefs immediately closed the shop. Morinaga said that they usually had dinner at the shop during the taste test, and Masaki promised hot pot (because of winter).

Morinaga told Souichi to rest while he and the other waiter, Komiya Daiichi, cleaned the shop. Masaki and the kitchen assistant, Hanano Sei, were in charge of dinner. Souichi watched them work, slightly impressed with their efficiency.

Soon, Usami and Morinaka, the two Dolce chefs, informed them that the deserts were finished and in the process of being chilled. They all sat down to dinner, where the waiters joked and told stories. Even Masaki deigned to loosen up a little under the influence of a few beers.

Souichi was still reserved, but was again surprised at Morinaga. Around the Dolce employees, Morinaga seemed more like the young man that he was, and not a person on the run from his life. He even seemed embarrassed by Hanano's teasing of yesterday's events. Apparently Masaki had to shoo away a local newspaper hell-bent on interviewing Morinaga.

When the taste testing time came, Souichi was presented with a slice of tiramisu and a cup of coffee. He was internally relieved, since he didn't like sweet things, and was even more pleasantly surprised when he realized that the tiramisu edged towards bittersweet tones. The coffee was creamy and complemented the desert perfectly.

"Good?" asked the chef Usami.

"I…yes," Souichi mumbled.

"Great. Tetsu said that you wouldn't like anything too sweet."

Souichi stared at the table where Morinaga was speaking to Komiya. He had another desert on his plate-a cheesecake, it seemed like-and given everything else, it shouldn't have been news that Morinaga knew about Souichi's tastes. The young man had been cooking for him, after all.

Still, why did he feel a bit…happy?

* * *

A/N: Damn. I never realized how hard it was to write a fic where their relationship wasn't established yet!

And for those who are interested, the cafe where Masaki and Morinaga works is based from another manga named Dolce. The cafe there is named Miya, though. If anyone wants to read it, go right ahead.

Thanks to all those who reviewed! You really helped my escape from the Underworld.

_**Kage no Getsuei**_: I'm so sorry! The chapter 3 was delayed...but hopefully the fact that it's a bit longer and more in-depth (the plot starts moving here) would make up for it. Thanks for your review!

_**sasaenganfab**_: I sleep in my Incredible Hulk PJ's! I am invincible! But since I also use night-lights, I have decided to update before I find that you tripped over something in my messy room. Thanks for your review!

_**Uba22**_: I keep on getting discouraged, because this is a genre I've not really written before...I really appreciate your support! Thanks for your review!

_**LoveKSB**_: The sun is hiding behind the clouds. The sun has decided that winter is a time for naps. No, I'm kidding. Your words really encourage me! Thanks for your review!

_**Guest**_: Uhm, I'm not sure what you mean by a better hook...but thanks for your review!

_**mafe martelo**_: Here's the next chapter, I hope you enjoyed it! Thanks for your review!

**Please review!** I eat them for breakfast and it is the most important meal of the day. I swear that I don't eat the reviewers themselves.


	4. Smokescreen

A/N: With a combination of procrastination and delaying work tactics, I have managed to actually write a chapter. Be awed by by prowess.

Disclaimer: I had Humpty Dumpty broken and cooked in an omelet for my breakfast this morning. Oh, that's not what the disclaimer tag is for?

* * *

Apparently the combination of a good meal and an exhausting shopping trip was enough to knock Souichi out. Souichi did a thorough check of the apartment before allowing Morinaga to enter (as he had done every night since they started living together) then stumbled off to bed, pausing only to take a quick shower. Morinaga wondered if it was the liqueur in the tiramisu that was making Souichi so sleepy.

It was becoming routine now. Souichi used to wait until Morinaga had fallen asleep before going to bed himself, but tonight there was no need to do so. Souichi must have assumed that Morinaga was also going to be sleeping after a shower.

Morinaga did take a shower, he opened his laptop instead of going to bed afterwards. There was no new information on the Yakuza. He found himself getting impatient. Why hadn't they come? Were they waiting for something?

Maybe they'd seen Souichi? But it was impossible to know who he was, or why they hired him. Masaki and Morinaga had made sure to use an unknown agency. Morinaga considered the idea carefully, then dismissed it. There was no need to worry over uncertain things. This game was stressing him enough.

What he really needed was to think of a way that he could evade Souichi. The blond bodyguard was good. Maybe Morinaga was better at self-defense, but Souichi was good at observing people discreetly, and stalking them. Souichi had literally not let him out of his sight for more than twenty minutes at a time, and when he did, he made sure that Morinaga was in a room with only one entrance or exit, with Souichi watching the door. That kind of room was usually the bathroom.

Masaki would no doubt have a heart attack if he knew that Morinaga was considering evading Souichi. But the yakuza were not doing anything. It was Masaki and Morinaga that would have to find out what they were up to. It would not be good to be unprepared.

He kneaded his fingers against his temples, thinking. It was really taking him all he had just to maintain a normal façade in front of Souichi. The good thing about it was that Souichi seemed to fall for it- he watched for threats from the outside, not from Morinaga himself. Morinaga was willing to bet that Souichi never thought about what he would do if Morinaga somehow escaped him.

But Masaki would.

So the plan would have to be to escape Souichi while Masaki was not around. It would just have to be a moment of carelessness that Morinaga would utilize, since he was sure it would be a one-time chance. But it had been almost two weeks since Souichi was hired. Time was nearly out.

The more that he thought about it, the more that he realized that the first step would have to be preparation. He might as well begin.

He gathered his coat from a hook by the door. Souichi slept like a log and would not notice him gone. He smiled faintly.

"You really don't remember me at all…do you, senpai?"

* * *

Souichi woke to the smells of breakfast. Morinaga was in the kitchen, already placing plates on the small table.

"Good morning," Morinaga greeted him cheerfully.

"Good morning," Souichi responded. "To the café again today?"

"No, I have the day off. Is there anywhere in particular that you want to go?"

Souichi stared. "Aren't you supposed to be in charge of that?"

"I don't really have any particular plans. I might as well tag along with whatever you want to do."

"I don't think I've ever had a client like you before," commented Souichi. "You're the one who should decide."

Morinaga thought for a moment. "How about tennis? We can rent a court, then maybe watch a movie."

Souichi shrugged as he tucked into his meal. "If that's what you want, then it's fine by me."

"Do you even play tennis?"

"I'm not bad," Souichi admitted, recalling games with his family and friends.

Morinaga grinned. "So, today is like a date, isn't it?"

Souichi choked, spewing spit and hot coffee all over the table. His face turned red with the effort of forcing air and liquid through the same passages.

Morinaga stood up, dishtowel in hand and looking alarmed. "Sen-Tatsumi-san!"

Souichi barely registered Morinaga's panicky reaction. His mind was racing. A date? A _date?!_ With a _guy?_ Souichi would never-he'd rather shave his hair bald than date a man! And Morinaga of all people…

"Don't you dare say THAT!" Souichi roared, banging his fist on the table when he was finally able to talk.

Morinaga was pale with terror. "I was joking! I'm sorry!"

"It wasn't funny, you fucking idiot!"

"I said I'm sorry! Don't yell!"

"You're yelling too!"

* * *

An hour later, Souichi had finally managed to stop feeling so annoyed at Morinaga. It was hard to be angry at someone looking so regretful. Morinaga apologized every two sentences.

Luckily, the tennis courts were mostly empty because it was a weekday. Again, Souichi thought about how unusual it was for a bodyguard to play tennis with his client. He didn't think that Morinaga even talked to anyone other than those in the café.

"Why don't you get one of your friends to play with you?" grumbled Souichi as he helped Morinaga set up the net (it was early enough that half the courts didn't have nets on).

"I don't think it's a good idea when yakuza are looking for me," Morinaga replied.

Souichi felt a stab of pity for this young man whose life had been thrown out of control. "Well, isn't that why I'm here? To protect you? You can go and live your life."

Morinaga smiled, but it was not a happy smile. "Thanks, Tatsumi-san," was all he said. Then the other man proceeded to his side of the court without another word.

Souichi was left to stare at hi retreating figure. He was suddenly seized with a desire to kick someone-he didn't know if it was himself or Morinaga. Souichi seemed to be saying all the wrong things, but he didn't know what would set Morinaga off-or put that kind of expression on his face. Morinaga obviously hated his situation, but was unwilling to do anything about it anything than mope and brood. It was sad and annoying at the same time.

'Well, whatever it is, I can't do a thing about it," mumbled Souichi. He walked to his side of the court, feeling irrationally violent. It was good that he could vent his frustrations out on a tennis ball.

Morinaga served the ball first, and for a while Souichi forgot about everything but returning the ball. His hopes of trashing Morinaga's game was dashed as Morinaga displayed his talent on the court. Morinaga scored point after point against Souichi, and tired him out by returning the balls all over the court.

He should've known that Morinaga was very fit. His stamina was amazing-or was that because he was younger?-and the power behind his returns obvious. Souichi had even forgotten his role as a bodyguard, only focused on beating Morinaga. So far it was proving to me impossible.

"You're taking this game too seriously," muttered Souichi. He was sweating buckets and Morinaga didn't even seem fazed-was his client superhuman?

"Sorry," Morinaga said when the game was over, 2-6. "I enjoyed myself a bit too much. Let's have lunch at the new restaurant across the street- it got great reviews. I'll treat."

"Were you a player?" Souichi panted. It was unfair! Now he was more irritated than before!

"High school and college. Yes."

"You could've given me a handicap," Souichi complained.

"I forgot," Morinaga admitted. "It's easy to be myself when I'm with you." After a pause Morinaga added, "It's probably a bad idea, though."

…and there it was again. Why was this client so fucking unpredictable?

* * *

When Souichi looked back at the events of that day, he could pinpoint the exact time that it all went wrong. 2:07 pm.

After lunch they agreed to watch a new sci-fi movie. Lunch ended at 1:45 and the movie was starting at 2pm, so Morinaga and Souichi separated-Morinaga to buy tickets, and Souichi to buy food. In retrospect, it was a Very Bad Idea, but Souichi had been distracted. All he knew was that he last saw Morinaga heading to the ticket counters a few minutes before the movie started.

At 2:03, Morinaga hadn't appeared. Souichi had now lost sight of Morinaga for approximately five minutes. A quick stop at the ticket cashier and at the bathrooms revealed that Morinaga had indeed bought tickets, but was not in the men's room. Souichi started to get nervous.

Where the hell was his troublesome client?

Souchi flipped his phone open to call Morinaga only to find out that his battery was dead. At the sight of the black screen, he felt like he's been sucker-punched. He'd never lost a client before, he was too vigilant for that, but apparently he shouldn't have left Morinaga's side. What would he tell Masaki?

Morbid thoughts started to tumble through his head. He tried to calm himself down, but Morinaga had never, ever left anywhere without him. If he was gone it could only mean that he had met with some trouble.

2:06.

He ran to the railings and stared out at the crowd of people. It was a weekday, Souichi remembered. There weren't as many people as there might have been, but a quick glance around had confirmed what he knew from the moment that Morinaga did not meet him at the theater:

Morinaga was gone.

Souichi's watch showed 2:07.

* * *

Morinaga drew back into the shadows as he spotted Souichi lean out from the railings to search for him. His face was clearly frantic.

Morinaga would owe a lot of apologies for this.

Moving more quickly now, he half-jogged to the fire exit and descended three levels into the car park. His motorcycle was waiting where he'd parked it after sneaking into the mall last night. He knew that time was critical. Not even Souichi could follow him easily once he was in his motorcycle.

"I'm really sorry, senpai," Morinaga murmured, before throwing on his helmet and jacket. He revved the engine to leave the mall.

Hopefully he wasn't going to drive anyone into an aneurysm over his little escape. He was safe, anyway. Aside from a getaway vehicle, he was keeping his head and body covered by his helmet and his jacket. He also had his phone. He'd replaced the batteries of Souichi's phone with almost-dead ones before leaving that morning. Souichi didn't even notice. Morinaga was sure that by this time, Souichi wouldn't have been able to use his phone.

And hopefully, Souichi would search the mall first before calling anyone else. Morinaga expected that he would be back before Souichi thought about contacting Masaki.

Morinaga's heart beat against the .45 pistol that he kept inside his jacket. It was his last line of defense, and he hoped that he wouldn't have to use it.

* * *

A/N: A cliffie! Look! Aeon managed to leave one! Now let's push her off it.

I'm kidding, of course. But I do enjoy making my lovely readers wait for the next chapter!

**To my lovely, darling reviewers: You're the reason why I can still keep on writing. You rock! Scissors! Paper! Uhhh..you get the idea. **

_**Uba22**_: You would? Really? I hope I won't ever make you think that I'm going below my standards (I think people may have expected something more like Burning Bridges.) Thank you so much for your encouragement and review!

_**LoveKSB**_: Here's your weekly update! I'm more of a moon person actually- I can't shine on my own, so I need my lovely reviewers and readers to do so! Thank you for your review!

_**Kawaii neko chan15**_: I think that the development of their relationship is slower compared to my other fic-but that's because the relationship is already established in the other story. I hope this chapter kept you interested, and thanks for your review!

_**Kage no Getsuei:**_ At first I thought of putting Morinaga as the bodyguard, but then I realized that was too boring, Morinaga would throw himself in front of a bullet for Souichi if he has to. I hope that when the time comes, you'll be able to finish your stories well! Thanks for your review! (P.S. I don't eat reviewers, but I do eat those who don't. Haaaahaaaahaaa!)

_**Girl**_: I've been wondering about character development if Souichi didn't know that Morinaga was a homo who liked him. It's another reason why I wrote this out (another reason was that I simply wanted to make an AU...haha). I do think that Morinaga is the calmer one of the two, he just couldn't utilize it much in the manga because all his insecurities revolve around Souichi. And Souichi...well...I think he's simply terrified of being in love or giving himself away or changing, I'm not sure which. He has his moments, though. I've been worried about portraying them out of character-but your comments made me realize I'm doing ok. Thanks for your review!

**Try the new, improved REVIEW PILL! Give one to Aeon and she turns into a machine that chops! Dices! Slices! Sings! Dances! And WAIT, there's MORE! The REVIEW PILL will also get Aeon off her lazy ass to write the next chapter! Give her a dose now!**


	5. Method to Your Madness

A/N: There were a LOT more reviews for the last chapter-I got so many **REVIEW PILLS**! I was soo happy that I sliced someone's fingers off and then danced myself right into a brick wall.

Disclaimer: The top of my head still hurts. I'd apologize for any craziness, but really, it's my habit by now.

* * *

Souichi's first steps took him to every single men's restroom that the mall had to hold, and calling out for his client. Most of the time, he earned nothing but strange stares, though there was a fellow that dared ask if Morinaga was his boyfriend. He stopped himself from knocking that person's teeth out by a narrow margin.

Now he was at the customer service desk, his last course of action before he contacted Masaki. It had been fully half an hour since he last saw Morinaga; the younger man could be anywhere now. However, if there was the smallest, slimmest chance that Morinaga was here, if Souichi missed him…

"Ah, miss?"

The smiling lady at the customer service desk turned to him.

"I'd like to call for someone through the speaker system. My phone is dead, and it's extremely important that I find him."

"I see. What was he wearing?"

Souichi had to re-assemble his thoughts for a minute. What was Morinaga wearing? "Dark blue crew-neck shirt and cargo shorts. White sneakers."

"When did you last see him?"

"Movie theater."

"Name?"

"Morinaga Tetsuhiro."

The girl nodded. "You must be very worried. Would you like to take a seat while you wait?"

Souichi shuffled to a seat, resisting the urge to pace. He usually never took on these types of jobs for Isogai, but he was confident enough that he would not fail. Looks like his clean record was about to get broken.

The customer service lady was sympathetic. "How old is he?"

"Huh?"

"You son, how old is he?"

His mouth fell open. "You think that moron is my _son_?!"

* * *

Morinaga was good at physical things-his older brother, Kunihiro, had often pointed it out. But he wasn't much good at thinking-not so much as book learning, but thinking ahead and making decisions based on probable outcomes.

These thoughts were running through his head as he parked his motorcycle two streets away from a club famous for its yakuza customers. Technically it wasn't a membership-only club, which was why Morinaga could go in. During the night, this place was teeming with people, but at 2:30pm it was deserted. The club, named Feria, was open from 5pm to 5am.

Morinaga had been here before, but it was impossible to look for a specific person in the crush of bodies within a nightclub. His only option was to stake it out during the day and hope that he wouldn't get caught. There were no yakuza here now and he didn't expect to meet anyone, but he thought it was good to be careful. He'd never been very lucky.

"Sir? I'm sorry, but we're still closed."

Morinaga turned, his stomach sinking. He hadn't even gotten very far past the entrance.

A boy was standing behind him, mop in hand. He was looking at Morinaga in an open, innocent way, obviously not perceiving him as a threat.

"Ah, sorry," Morinaga said sheepishly. "I was just looking for someone, but I guess I got the wrong club?"

"This is Club Feria. Who were you looking for?"

"A guy named Adachi Minoru. I was supposed to deliver some documents to him…it's said that he frequents this club."

The boy visibly flinched. "Y-Yeah, he's a frequent customer here. B-But he doesn't really come when the club is closed."

_Interesting._ Morinaga cocked his head slightly. "Is he trouble? You seem scared."

"No, of course not," the boy snapped. "He…"

"He's yakuza, isn't he?" Morinaga interjected quietly.

The boy paled. "Are you a d-d-detective? I don't know anything!"

Morinaga sighed. Of all the things to mistake him for, this boy chose the worst. "No, I'm not. But I know that this bar has a lot of those kinds of customers."

The boy seemed relieved. Pressing his advantage, Morinaga barreled on, "I'm Ouga Yuuki. What's your name?"

"Hikawa Ren. Ah, if Adachi-san has a delivery, we can take it…we've done it before."

"I don't think so, Hikawa-kun. If I'm not the one who delivers the documents my supervisors would be mad at me. And you know how Adachi-san gets," Morinaga said, testing a theory.

Without further prompting, the boy nodded. "I know! He's scary sometimes. I suspect that he does drugs."

Morinaga wanted to laugh. Drugs? He would be surprised if that was all Adachi was capable of. "Is he a big-time yakuza?"

"I think he's with the Sakaki group around here, but he's causing trouble."

"He was in the newspapers recently, wasn't he?"

"Oh, you heard about that? He was accused of killing someone from S Pharmaceuticals," Hikawa whispered. "It wasn't confirmed, though."

Morinaga nodded slowly. "Any idea where I can find him at this time?"

"He's probably in the Sakaki compound."

"All right, thank you," Morinaga said casually.

"Don't tell Adachi-san about the things I said, ok?"

"I won't."

After all, Morinaga had bigger things to worry about than tattling on a chatty kid.

Something like making Adachi Minoru pay for his crimes.

* * *

Before today, Souichi thought that the expression "running around with his head cut off" was just an expression. Now, two hours after being separated from Morinaga, he realized that he was doing exactly that. Running around like a chicken with his head cut off.

All right, so maybe that was an exaggeration. His pulse had resumed the normal rate and he was able to think more clearly. Still, he had a throbbing headache from squinting at the crowds for some time, and talking to incompetent morons who missed seeing a young black-haired, green eyed Japanese male (Souichi studiously excluded himself from that category).

There was no reply to the announcement he'd made for Morinaga earlier. When the customer service lady made that mistake, he'd yelled at her so much that he might have permanently traumatized her. Souichi would have been sorry if he wasn't so worried for Morinaga.

It was all his fault. Why the hell did he take his eyes off Morinaga? Why didn't he charge his phone? What would happen if Morinaga was taken…by the yakuza…Morinaga might be able to take care of one or two, but without anything else, a civilian like Morinaga had no chance.

There'd been no sound of a struggle. If it were yakuza, they must have outnumbered Morinaga. Or threatened someone-Souichi could see Morinaga sacrificing himself for others. How the hell was he going to look for his client now?

For a moment, Morinaga's calm, serene face flashed through his mind. It was Souichi's mistake to be taken in my Morinaga's easygoing disposition. The younger man had never really taken the threats to his life seriously, because there were no other incidents so far. It should have fallen to Souichi to be vigilant.

He should have put a tracker on Morinaga. But it was too late for regrets now. He'd wasted enough time trying to search for Morinaga. He would have to go back to Masaki and tell him that he lost his employee in the mall. His stomach churned at the thought.

But he had to do it. The sooner that he could tell Masaki, the better were the chances of him finding Morinaga. Masaki seemed to know a lot about the yakuza group that was targeting Morinaga. It might not be a very good idea for Morinaga's disappearance to be known to police-Masaki had said as much. So his only form of help would be Masaki.

Souichi placed his head in his hands. What if Morinaga suffered for his incompetence?

With a heavy heart, Souichi slowly trudged towards the train station. The commute back to Dolce took only half an hour, but it felt longer. He hoped, with every fibre of his being, that Morinaga was all right somehow. That he wouldn't be reading about finding Morinaga dead tomorrow.

He was still trying to decide how to phrase Morinaga's disappearance to Masaki when he saw Morinaga himself through the windows of the Dolce.

* * *

"Where have you BEEN?!" screamed Souichi as soon as he was through the door.

The café fell silent instantly. Morinaga was at a table, eating a sandwich and a coffee. When Souichi had come in, he seemed confused.

Souichi stormed over, his face like a thundercloud. "How long have you been here? Why did you disappear on me? How did you GET here, you-"

"All right, all right, I think we know who got the meeting-place wrong," one of the waiters said, sweeping over to them. Komiya Daichi. Currently, the playboy of the café.

His natural charm and foreigner good-looks quickly neutralized what could have been a very nasty situation. The customers all laughed and resumed their conversations. Komiya shot them a warning look, then proceeded with taking a customer's order.

Souichi threw himself in the seat across Morinaga. "Well? Are you REALLY trying to give me a heart attack?"

"Tatsumi-san…didn't you get my message?"

"WHAT message?"

Moringa looked very hesitant. "Is…is your phone on? I sent you a lot of messages. And I tried calling, but-"

Souichi scowled. "My battery died. You have ten seconds to explain."

Morinaga gulped. "W-Well, when I was in line to get tickets, a few girls cornered me. They were customers of the café that day when the thieves came, and they wanted to take my picture. I told them no, but they kept on pestering me so much that I had to run away and hide in the dressing room of a clothes store. When I got back, you were gone."

"Impossible, I was at the mall for two hours! I even called for you through the speaker system."

"I watched the movie," Morinaga said meekly. "I thought you were inside the movie house already, and I was trying to look for you inside, but I was starting to bother a lot of people. In the end I just watched the movie…I kept trying to contact you but you wouldn't respond. In the end I just decided to go here and leave a message, then go on home."

"Shit," Souichi swore viciously. "I-I thought something happened to you." Damn it, now he was stuttering too. "D-don't scare me like that. I thought…what if the yakuza…"

Souichi bowed his head, ashamed at the sudden display of emotion. After a moment, Souichi heard a chair scraping across the floor.

"What-?" Souichi mumbled as a shadow loomed over him.

Morinaga's arms were around him, gentle and warm. "I'm really sorry, Tatsumi-san."

The bodyguard was shocked. Was this Morinaga's way of comforting him? What, wait? Should he swat him away?

But it seemed completely innocent. Morinaga was rubbing soothing circles into Souichi's back, easing the tension there. He was still murmuring apologies.

Souichi blushed as bright as beacon. He hadn't forgotten what Morinaga had forced him to go through this afternoon, but Morinaga's hug was slowly dissipating his anger. The younger man seemed to have come much further under Souichi's skin than he had thought. Much, _much _further.

"Am I interrupting something?"

Morinaga and Souichi broke apart. Masaki was standing there, his face carefully expressionless.

Souichi stood up so fast that he nearly dislocated Morinaga's jaw with the top of his head. "It-we weren't doing anything!"

"I see. I'd like to talk to you, Tatsumi-san."

Morinaga stiffened, reaching out for the café owner. "Masaki-san, about today, it isn't his fault-"

"I know," Masaki cut him off, dodging Morinaga. "I'd still like to talk to him. _Alone,_" Masaki emphasized, seeing Morinaga about to follow. Masaki didn't even spare Morinaga a glance.

Souichi followed him. Morinaga might not see it that way, but being separated from his client for almost four hours without any means of contact was a sign of carelessness. By now Masaki would've known everything, and deduced a few things to boot. Souichi had no doubt that he was about to get a scolding.

Masaki, strangely, wary of Morinaga. Anger, Souichi could understand. But this careful maneuvering…that Masaki hadn't been waiting with Morinaga when Souichi walked in, or the way that Masaki edged out of Morinaga's touch…it was odd.

Even stranger was the expression on Morinaga's face as Masaki led Souichi away. If Souichi hadn't known any better, he would have described it as sorrow.

* * *

Souichi was confused when Masaki sat him in his office and gave him a cup of the café's most expensive coffee. It didn't seem like the proper prologue to delivering a lecture.

"Masaki-san?" Souichi said cautiously.

Now the café owner was staring at his office table. He seemed to be searching for the words to say.

"Masaki-san?" Souichi repeated.

Masaki came to himself with a jerk. "Ah, sorry. Did you want creamer? Sugar?"

_Very weird. _One usually won't offer their best coffee to someone they were about to fire. And to offer creamer and sugar…"No, I was just…I'm really sorry for allowing Morinaga to be separated from me today. It was my fault."

Masaki nodded. "You should be. It could have easily ended badly. If he was placed in danger because of your gross incompetence, I'll not only fire you, but make you regret the day you were born."

Souichi flinched. That was a threat. Souichi marveled at the other man's ability to deliver a threat without raising his voice. Apparently providing food and delivering threats weren't all that different for the cafe owner. Masaki sounded as though he meant every word, his tone as cold as ice.

"But Tetsu will not go anywhere he doesn't wish to without a fight. You know that, don't you?"

"If he was threatened…or others were threatened, he will go with the yakuza without a fight," Souichi argued.

Masaki smiled slightly. "You thought about this a lot, didn't you? While I'll admit that's one of Tetsu's weaknesses, I actually wanted to ask you a few things."

"Yes?"

"When you went out this morning, did Tetsu say that I had given him the day off?"

Souichi's eyes narrowed. "Did he skip out?"

"Just answer the question."

The bodyguard shrugged. "I think he said that he had the day off, but didn't tell me if you had given it to him or if he asked for it himself."

Masaki sighed. "Second question. What time did you get separated?"

Easy. "A little after two pm."

There was a long silence. Souichi could tell that this meant something to Masaki, but the other man seemed determined to shut him out. "Last question," Masaki murmured. "Did you check your phone's battery before you went out with him?"

"No," Souichi replied.

"I see," Masaki said. After another long pause (Souichi would really need to get to the bottom of that someday), Masaki eventually said, "Tatsumi-san, there's something you need to know about Tetsu."

"What?"

"I've known him for a very long time. He's like a little brother to me. I believe he is one of the best people around…however, his main weakness is his emotions. He can be carried away by them."

"What do you mean?"

"Let me talk. Tetsu cares for you, as he cares for his friends. You are...important to him. If the yakuza comes to take him away and holds you hostage, Tetsu would come with them. There is no question about that. You're right."

"I'm his bodyguard," Souichi said flatly. "I won't let him do that. It'll be an insult to my ability."

"It's not a question of what you will allow. Tetsu is physically stronger than you are. I think you've had a good demonstration of that." Masaki smiled bitterly. "Stubborn fool. If you were taken hostage, he'll exchange himself for you, but not before he's made sure that you're out of the way. You won't be much use if Tetsu knocks you out."

Souichi digested this bit of information. It was certainly something to think about.

"Don't let him," Masaki ordered fiercely. "If that situation comes, stop him by any means possible. And be very, very fast."

* * *

Morinaga was itching to ask what Masaki-san told Souichi. Ever since Masaki returned Souichi to the table, his bodyguard had been…strange. Morinaga didn't think that Souichi was scolded by Masaki-san, but there was an air of purpose to the blond man that was not there before. And…Souichi was looking at him differently than before. For the first time, Souichi seemed to be looking _at_ him rather than through him, assessing _him_ instead of Morinaga's outside environment.

He didn't think that Masaki would tell Souichi everything. That was the fastest way to lose Souichi as a bodyguard.

Perhaps he figured out that Morinaga had deliberately lost him this afternoon? But Morinaga thought that Souchi would be angrier if that was the case. Not to mention, Masaki would probably keep Morinaga in the café for the rest of his natural life, because he'd kept his trip to Club Feria a secret even from Masaki-san.

All Souichi did was agree to Morinaga's suggestion to have dinner outside the café. He usually didn't agree to eat in any place that wasn't the cafe or the apartment, but today Souichi simply followed Morinaga.

Morinaga was starting to get _very_ worried.

"Uhm, Tatsumi-san?" Morinaga began tentatively when they were on their way back to the apartment. Souichi turned without speaking. "About this afternoon, I don't blame you, okay?"

The other man blinked, as if Morinaga had just reminded him of an appointment that was due next year. "I know."

"But…what's the matter? You've been strange…"

"Nothing's the matter," Souichi said abruptly. "Let's go home."

Something was definitely the matter! Morinaga felt like banging his head on the dashboard (Souichi hadn't returned the car yet). Masaki-san was the only one whose actions he couldn't predict, then or since. And now Masaki had told Souichi something…it definitely wasn't good.

He spent the drive home diligently constructing convoluted situations about what Masaki-san said and what it could possibly mean for his situation. He was so absorbed that when Souichi suddenly braked hard, he couldn't figure out why.

"Are we here?" Morinaga reached out to open the door.

"Stay inside!" Souichi yelled.

"What? Why?" Morinaga turned to look at his apartment-perhaps some suspicious people?-then gaped in horror.

This was too much. This was too much, oon top of everything. How could this have happened?

Bright orange flames leapt through the night, devouring both people and property. There was a team of firemen parked ten feet away from them. People milled about, crying and calling for their family, and their loved ones. Morinaga realized that some people were even screaming. Water was everywhere.

Morinaga quickly glanced at the spot where his room was-or rather, used to be. It was one of the rooms that was worst hit-even he could see that from where he was.

Souchi was paper white.

There was no doubt about it. An arsonist had attacked Morinaga's apartment.

* * *

A/N: Because people usually use the PA system at malls to look for their missing children. Hahaaaa, Souichi!

But Morinaga got a bit of karma this time. See how he likes Souichi keeping a secret for once.

And finally, a bit of light dawns! Masaki seems to be afraid of something, yeah?

Someone tell me why the name Hikawa Ren is familiar to me somehow. I can't remember...have I read it in a manga? Hmmm...

Oh, yeah, and Club Feria is an ACTUAL club in Japan. One of the best, in fact. I haven't been there, but it's rated as such.

**To my awesome reviewers: You give me a reason to smile each day! I am starting to creep out the people on the bus with my grins, but who cares?**

**_sasaengandfab_:** Why would you question your existence? As strange as this one was, thanks for your review!

_**NaomiSoto**_: I'm glad you're enjoying this so much. I've got more in store. Thanks for your review!

_**Uba22**_: This is by far the longest chapter. Your well-wishes for my inspiration must have worked! I feel like I'm getting more into my own pace, the last few chapters were all so short...I usually write chapters with 3K+ wordcount. Thanks for your review!

_**LoveKSB**_: Hopefully you took a bit more time reading this one-it's longer! and I'll try to keep it interesting. Thanks for your review!

_**Girl**_: I love your reviews, they make me improve myself...I changed all the sempai's to senpai in the last chapter, hopefully I got them all. I think I may have been reading some manga that used sempai instead of senpai...Still some relationship development here, and plot development. I think the reason that Souchi underestimates Morinaga is because Morinaga is usually so _nice_. Even with the live demo of Morinaga's abilities, Souichi probably never expected that they might be used on him...but I suppose that would change now. Thanks for your review!

**_ShaunaMcAllister_**: Here's the next chapter! Hopefully it was as good, if not better. Thanks for your review!

_**Lizlin**_: Thanks! THis is my first writing of bodyguard/client story. I'm glad you liked it. Thanks for your review!

_**thesixvoices**_: I feel kinda bad because the next few chapters would have a LOT of suspense in them...I hope you'll still be alive by the end. Haha. Thanks for your review!

_**Kawaii neko chan 15:**_ That's ok, I guess AU's are not really your thing? I'm planning to introducing more chapters that would hopefully keep you interested. Thanks for your review!

_**BerryBerry**_: I won't be stopping for a while yet, don't worry! thanks for your review!

**Donate a review to the Need Not to Know fund. It would save the endangered specie called Aeon's Inspiration.**


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